Florence Cocktail Week Turns 10

Paola Mencarelli and the Florence Cocktail Week team

Florence Cocktail Week is back for its 10th edition, running April 16–22, 2026, and the city's bar scene has come a long way since the festival launched in 2016 with just 13 venues. This year, more than 70 bars are taking part, which gives you a sense of how deeply the week has embedded itself into the city's calendar.

Organized by Paola Mencarelli, the 2026 edition has a dual focus: celebrating Italian bartending talent and nudging the conversation toward more mindful drinking. Every guest bartender appearing at events will be Italian or Italian-based abroad.

Each of the 55 selected bars will offer three exclusive drinks during the week: an original signature cocktail, a low- or no-ABV wellness option, and a classic that nods to mixology's roots.

Beyond the bar crawl, there's a lot going on. The contest that kicked off the very first edition in 2016 is returning, held at Locale Firenze on April 16. A new "Barkeeper" initiative carves out dedicated time for resident bartenders to talk through their work with guests — less performance, more conversation. There's also a young bartenders' program putting 31 under-25 talents behind the stick at seven different venues.

To mark the anniversary, the festival is also releasing Cocktails in Florence, a printed guide covering 59 venues with recipes and notes on each spot.

The full events calendar is live on the official website.